There is great attention on the development of quick, easy, and sensitive detection techniques for cancer biomarkers. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful analytical technique that has gained significant attention in the field of cancer research. SERS-based immunoassays are often utilized for the detection of biological structures and molecules in medicine. In the study, a SERS-based immunosensor is developed for the detection of cancer protein biomarkers in serum on a flexible diatomite-based SERS active platform. The flexible SERS active platform is prepared on a regular box tape by coating nanoporous biosilica (diatomite) with AgNPs using the layer-by-layer assembly method. The platform is then modified with antibodies specific to target cancer proteins, such as human epidermal growth factor receptor2 (HER2), mucin4 (MUC 4), and prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The antibody-modified surface is incubated with the cancer proteins spiked in serum at different concentrations, and SERS spectra are obtained after the incubation of Raman probes. The method's sensitivity is evaluated, and the capability to detect protein biomarkers down to 0.1 ng/mL is demonstrated.
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) carry molecular cargo that includes nucleic acids, lipids, proteins, and various other biomarkers. Raman and SERS spectroscopy are label-free spectroscopy techniques based on inelastic scattering of laser light interacting with molecular vibrations. In our study, we employed Raman and SERS spectroscopy for the detection of amyloid beta protein in the molecular cargo of small EVs and bulk chemical analysis of EVs. We observed considerable variation as a reflection of the biochemical content of EVs related to the Aβ peptide incorporated in EVs extracted from the AD cell culture model. Next, we developed a new CMOS-based sensing platform for trapping, imaging, and chemical characterization of EVs via SERS (CMOS TrICC) with the experimental enhancement factor 5.0 × 104. We employed this platform for parallel trapping and sensitive biochemical analysis of the 100 nm nanospheres and EVs.
Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) is an emerging analytical technique used for characterization of biological and non-biological structures. Plasmonic properties of nanostructures are main factors influencing SERS performance. Thus, fabrication of plasmonic nanostructures having different plasmonic properties is a significant research interest. Recently, guided-mode resonances (GMRs) in diatoms have significant attention due to their potential contribution to SERS enhancement. Furthermore, there is also evidence showing that diatoms can be utilized in improving SERS enhancement by optically coupling the GMRs of the diatom frustules with the LSPRs of the nanostructures. In this study, inexpensive, robust, and flexible diatom-based SERS platforms having different number of layers on a box tape are fabricated using layer-by-layer assembly of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The fabricated SERS platforms are characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SERS performance of the platforms was evaluated using 4 aminothiophenol (4-ATP) and rhodamine-6G. The results demonstrate that SERS performance of the platforms is dependent on the number of layers of the structures. The SERS platform having highest SERS activity can be used for the characterization of any molecules of interest
Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) is a promising technique for biosensing due to its high sensitivity at low concentration of analytes of interest. Via this technique, Raman signals of detected molecules are significantly enhanced on the surface of metal or metallic nanostructures. Metallic nanoparticles are widely used for biosensors based on SERS due to their optical and physical properties, generating high enhancement factor. The enhancement factor of SERS is not only dependent on the materials but also dependent on the size, shape and architecture of the substrates. Biosilica diatoms make good candidates that are attractive for plasmonic composite since they show natural nanostructures with a great diversity, which lead to their unique mechanical and optical properties. Therefore, in this work, diatoms and metallic nanoparticles are combined as a novel biocomposite material for potential applications as biosensors. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were self-assembled with diatoms and then deposited on adhesive office tapes. With the prepared substrate, bacteria and proteins at low concentration were measured with Raman spectroscopy. The results indicated although the substrate based the nanocomposite consisting of AgNPs, diatoms and office tapes is particularly suitable for biological particles at nano- to micro-meter scale, showing better performance on identifying different types or strains of bacteria from each other compared to protein identification due to their larger sizes.
Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a potential analytical technique for the detection and identification of chemicals and biological molecules and structures in the close vicinity of metallic nanostructures. We present a novel method to fabricate tunable plasmonic nanostructures and perform a comprehensive structural and optical characterization of the structures. Spherical latex particles are uniformly deposited on glass slides and used as templates to obtain nanovoid structures on polydimethylsiloxane surfaces. The diameter and depth of the nanovoids are controlled by the size of the latex particles. The nanovoids are coated with a thin Ag layer for fabrication of uniform plasmonic nanostructures. Structural characterization of the surfaces is performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Optical properties of these plasmonic nanostructures are evaluated via UV/Vis spectroscopy, and SERS. The sample preparation step is the key point to obtain strong and reproducible SERS spectra from the biological structures. When the colloidal suspension is used as a SERS substrate for the protein detection, the electrostatic interaction of the proteins with the nanoparticles is described by the nature of their charge status, which influences the aggregation properties such as the size and shape of the aggregates, which is critical for the SERS experiment. However, when the solid SERS substrates are fabricated, SERS signal of the proteins that are background free and independent of the protein charge. Pros and cons of using plasmonic nano colloids and nanostructures as SERS substrate will be discussed for label-free detection of proteins using SERS.
Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful technique used for characterization of biological and nonbiological molecules and structures. Since plasmonic properties of the nanomaterials is one of the most important factor influencing SERS activity, tunable plasmonic properties (wavelength of the surface plasmons and magnitude of the electromagnetic field generated on the surface) of SERS substrates are crucial in SERS studies. SERS enhancement can be maximized by controlling of plasmonic properties of the nanomaterials. In this study, a novel approach to fabricate tunable plasmonic 3D nanostructures based on combination of soft lithography and nanosphere lithography is studied. Spherical latex particles having different diameters are uniformly deposited on glass slides with convective assembly method. The experimental parameters for the convective assembly are optimized by changing of latex spheres concentration, stage velocity and latex particles volume placed between to two glass slides that staying with a certain angle to each other. Afterwards, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer is poured on the deposited latex particles and cured to obtain nanovoids on the PDMS surfaces. The diameter and depth of the nanovoids on the PDMS surface are controlled by the size of the latex particles. Finally, fabricated nanovoid template on the PDMS surfaces are filled with the silver coating to obtain plasmonic 3D nanostructures. Characterization of the fabricated surfaces is performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). SERS performance of fabricated 3D plasmonic nanostructures will be evaluated using Raman reporter molecules.
Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is an emerging technique for the detection and identification of biological structures. SERS is based on immunoassay methods are mostly used for the specific detection and identification of bacteria. In this study, SERS substrates are developed with deposition of synthesized spherical 13 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and 50 nm silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on regular glass slides with convective assembly method for SERS based immunoassay for the detection and identification of bacteria. The synthesized NPs are characterized by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Colloidal suspensions are concentrated by centrifugation to obtain thin films by the deposition of NPs on a regular glass slide with the convective assembly. The experimental parameters for the convective assembly are optimized by changing of NP concentration, stage velocity and NPs volume dropped between two glass slides. Structural characterization of thin films is performed by AFM and SEM. SERS is also used for the optical characterization of the prepared thin films of NPs. In this study, 4- aminothiophenol (4-ATP) is used as probe molecules to evaluate SERS activity of the thin films depending on the type and concentration of NPs. The results demonstrate that, SERS performances of the thin films are dependent on not only the type of NPs but also it depends on the concentration of NPs which forms thin films. The thin film having highest SERS activity could be used for the SERS-based immunoassays for the detection and identification of bacteria.
Rapid, accurate and sensitive DNA analysis is critically important for the diagnostic of genetic diseases. The most common method preferred in practice is fluorescence based microarrays to analyze the DNA. However, there exist some disadvantages related to the above-mentioned method such as the overlapping of the fluorescence emission wavelengths that can diminish in the performance of multiplexing, needed to obtain fluorescence spectra from each dye and photo degradation. In this study, a novel SERS based DNA analysis approach, which is Raman active dye-free and independent of SERS substrate properties, is developed. First, the single strand DNA probe is attached to the SERS substrate and half of the complimentary DNA is attached to gold nanoparticles, as well. We hypothesize that in the presence of target DNA, the complimentary DNA coupled colloids will bind to the SERS substrate surface via hybridization of single strand target DNA. To test this hypothesis, we used UV/Vis spectroscopy, atomic for microscopy (AFM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). DNA analysis is demonstrated by a peak shift of the certain peak of the small molecules attached to the SERS substrate surface instead of SERS spectrum obtained in the presence of target DNA from the Raman reporter molecules. The degree of peak shifting will be used for the quantification of the target DNA in the sample. Plasmonic properties of SERS substrates and reproducibility issues will not be considerable due to the use of peak shifting instead of peak intensity for the qualitative analysis.
In this study, phthalocyanine (Pc) compounds were synthesized and evaluated photophysical and photochemical
properties for the possible application of PDT. Zinc is used as central atom for the Pc to obtain higher singlet oxygen
production. The structures of the synthesized Pc are characterized by IR, UV-vis, 1H , elemental analysis and MS. The
results demonstrated that the synthesized Pc is a good candidate for the PDT applications for the cancers. The
synthesized Pc will be also bound covalently to the nano surface via –SH functional group that can contribute to the
production of singlet oxygen amount carrying phthalocyanines having diamagnetic metal. Thus, phthalocyanine
compounds and their derivatives having high wavelength (near-IR) absorption, high triplet quantum yields, triplet state
lifetime of singlet oxygen allow us to use PDT applications effectively.
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